Trackway work station rack combination



Jan. 16. 1945. w. H. JOYCE, JR 2,367,213

TRACK-WAY WORK STATION RACK COMBINATION I Original Filed May 24, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet l M T N 4 I l mLL/AM fl. z7bYcE, 1772.,

INVENTOR Jan. 16, 1945. w. H. JOYCE, JR 2,357,218

TRACK-WAY WORK STATION RACK COMBINATION Original Filed May 24, 1941Z-Sheets-Sheet' 2 w I PV/ZL/AM E JOYCE, 17%.,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1945 TRACKWAY WORK STATION RACKCOMBINATION William 11. Joyce, Jr., Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Joyce,Inc., Pasadena, Calif., a corporation of California original applicationMay 24, 1941, Serial No. 395,050. Divided and this application June 5,1942, Serial No. 445,902

7 Claims. 7 (Cl. 21134) My invention relates generally to the manu--facturing of articles from preformed parts, and more particularly to atrack-way work-station rack combination and work carrying basket and isa division of-my copending application Serial No. 395,050 filed May 24,1941, for Method and apparatus for manufacturing articles from preformedparts. I I

Regarding, for purposes of distinction, some prior conventionalmanufacturing methods and apparatus: In .assembling automobiles,.forexample, it is common ,to employ an assemblyline where parts aredelivered separately to work stations, and these .parts are added toeach automobile structure as it .is moved along by power. This systemhas utility where the parts and the finished article are so standardizedas to be interchangeable, requiring'no discretionary selection, fitting,orextra attention. Such a method allows-for no-variables in-design,pattern, materials or labor. Moreover, it can be used to best advantageonly on'relatively large articles where suflicient room is naturallynecessitated and provided for a sufficient number of workmen at anygiven point to collectively perform difficult operations equal in timeconsumption to that re- .quired at other stationsfor fewer workmen toperform simple operations. Such .provision is a corollary to theautomatic movement of the articles along the assembly line. When suchaystem is used for assemblingsmaller articles, as-

suming theyare absolutelystandardized, it is ordinarily necessary forgrouped workmen .per-

forming any given time consuming operation to I There are numerous stepsin some manufactur-- ing systems which alone are not enough to keep oneman busy, assuming a flow of work synchronized withthe slowest operationalong the line. That means that, with a fixed time interval for theworkv to travel a certain distance,

someworkmen are employed below their capacity.

ing large accumulations of partly finished shoes standing in racks whilean operator finished, an

operation on the thirty six pairs before passing the rack on to the nextoperator. Unless all thirty six pairsare of the same pattern, material,color, and size, the operator has to sort over and select the matchingparts, and even when he does not have to do that the process iswasteful. Under that process, it is necessary to let the shoes ,cure fortwo or three days before pulling the lasts; Such a system requires anexcessive quantity oflasts' and inventory of shoes in process,inconvenient and costly time delay, and large floor space for storage intransit.

" Moreover, the long exposure often results in the shoes becomingsoiled.

It is an object of my invention to provide a method and apparatus formanufacturing articles from preformed parts in multiples of small lots,moving the parts and partly finished articles along a fixed path fromone operator or group of operators to the next in rapid, efiicientsuccession amounting in net result to a continuous process.

A further object is to .providean apparatus suitable for performing amethod of manufacturing articles from preformed parts comprising thesteps of assembling the preformed parts for an article in a carrier unitadapted to hold the I parts for a relatively small number'of articles,

performing successive'assembly operations with and on said parts,manually moving each con tainer along a fixed path as each workoperation on the parts therein contained is completed, and

thus gradually unloading the container of parts as said work progresses,so that when the work is completed the assembled articles originatingAnother method, found widely used for example in the shoe industry, isto assemble relatively large quantities of parts in portable carriers,or

I racks, and roll themi over the.fio0r from one .from parts inthecontainer may be removed, and

the empty container be returned to the point of assembly.

This apparatus will Vary according to the naturelof the articles to bemanufactured, but the minimum essential elements are: .(1) a track,preferably all onone level, along which are arranged vork stations andmachines needed for the successive operations; and (2) individualcontainers designed to slide along the track and constructed to hold theprimary parts for a relatively small number of articles, preferably inseparate compartments. I Anothr object of my invention is to provide atrack-way work station rack combination which includes a track for anassembly line, and

a work basket or container adapted to be advancedalong the track, andwhich is adapted to contain in convenient arrangement and accessibilitythe several parts of a relatively small number of complete articles,such for example as shoes, whereby operators at work stations along theline may perform assemblyand finishing operations upon all of the unitsin the basket while the basket dwells at the operators station, andwhich apparatus permits successive work operations on the same units atsuccessive work stations, until the several parts originallycontained inthe basket at the beginning of the assembly line have been united intothe number of finished units represented by the said parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide a.

suitable container for carrying preformed parts of an article ofmanufacture, which is relatively light and at the same time ofrelatively rigid construction, in which all of the preformed parts arereadily accessible to the workmen, and which may be manually advancedfrom one work station to the next. l

A further and more particular object of my invention is to provide in atrack-way work station rackbombination a rack or container or basketespecially suitable for containing in separate compa'rtments the partsfor a relatively small number of pairs of shoes, the parts for any givenpattern, and size having been selected and placed in the basket at thestart of its travel along the track, whereby operators at successivework stations may take the necessary parts of each shoe from the basket,perform their designated work thereon, replace the partly finished shoein the basket, and when the work on all of the shoes in the basket hasbeen performed at the station, the basket may be manually advanced, oradvanced under the control of the operator, toward the next work stationin line.

A still further object is to provide a basket of the character describedwhich supports theparts in full view of the operator, and in a regularposition in a designated compartment, whereby each operator can pick upthe parts necessary to his operation without having to search for thesame, or. select them from a common supply. This is especially importantin the manufacture of shoes where patterns and sizes vary, for iteliminates the necessity for the operators sorting out correspondingparts to match the pattern and style.

. Further objects and advantages of my invention will readily be seenfrom the detailed description thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my work carrying basket mounted on asection of track.

Figure 2 is a partial section on a plane indicated by line 2 ,2 inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial section indicated by line 33 inFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the last used in connection with thework carrying basket.

The work carrying basket illustrated in Figure l comprises a frame whichincludes an upper rectangularheavy wire member H and a cor-. respondinglower rectangular heavy wire member I2. The frame is supported byvertical end members l3. The wires throughout the basket may be weldedor joined by any desired means. The end members are preferably U shaped,each hav ing a horizontal portion I4 which extends below and parallelto, the end of the. lower reetangular member 12. The extensions 14 areadapted to reads and slide alongthe track I 11 shown in Figure 1 indotted lines.

" m 9 the week He ma var it. ein

suflicient if comprising oppositely disposed angle irons mounted on anysuitable table-high supports (not illustrated) so that the baskets maybe slid along by operators as their respective work is performed. By thephrase table-high I mean at such height from the floor .as to correspondto the approximate level of ordinary work table and benches, so that thebaskets are withineasy and convenient reach of the operators. Suchheight is not absolutely necessary, as the parts are removed from thebaskets for work, but the more conveniently located the baskets are, themore efficient is the labor.

An inverted U shaped intermediate bracing member I5 increases therigidity of the basket and divides the basketinto two sections A and B.The floor of the basket is made up of longitudinal wires l6 and lateralwires l'l joined to the lower rectangular member I2. Verticalintermediate wires I8 are joined to the upper and lower rectangularmembers II and I2 at both sides of the basket. Each half of the basketis divided into three major compartments by upper longitudinal framemembers I9 and vertical members corresponding to the vertical membersl8, members 20 being secured at the lower end to the wires l1.Additional members 2| extend between the horizontal part of the memberI5 and the corresponding cross wire I1.

. At each end .of the basket is secured an attaching member '22 in theform of wire loops which extend obliquely upward from the .ends of thebasket to be caught by swiveled hooks in a dryer (not shown here) Amiddle shelf in the basket is made up of cross wires 23 and 24. Thewires 24 are provided with short upstanding pins 25.

.The upper tray or cradle of the basket is intended to contain the lastand uppers of the shoe 26 and comprises cross wires 21 and 28 bent sothat when an inverted last is seated therein the rear portionof the lastprovided with a notch 28 rests ,on a relatively narrow flat section 30of the wires 28, and the sides of the last and the shoe upper nestlesnugly in the tapered extension 30a of the wire 21. The wire 21 providesa more shallow depression which the toe portion of the inverted lastfits. I

The wires 21 and 28 are preferably covered at least in part with a whiterubber tubing 3| or other clean cushioning elements to avoid thepossibility of wires abraiding or discoloring the shoes.

As seen from this description, the basket is divided into two sections Aand B, and each section is divided into three major compartments 0, dand e. Parts for each pair of shoes are to be contained in thecorresponding compartments of the opposite sections A and B. It isintended that the upper and. last be seated in the upper tray or cradle,the midsole or pad being disposed on the middle shelf and the outso-leresting upon the floor of the basket,

The purpose of the pins 25 is to frictionally engage the midsole Ql adto prevent it from sliding out, and als to reduce the area of contactbetween the midsole or pad and its supporting element in the basket ifthe midsole has been cemented on both sides as a step before the shoeparts have been finally assembled.

A sprin clip 32 is provided to carry work tickets or the like. Ifcounters are used for the shoes, they may be hung on any one of theupper horizontal frame wires.

While I have shown a basket adapted to contain three pairs'of shoes itis obvious "that the tures.

baskets construction may be Suitably altered for carrying more or lessthan three pairs. Metallic, wood or plastic. strips or framework may besubstituted for the wire. The important thing is to provide lightnessand rigidity; Some advantage is realized also by large apertures sothat. the parts may be seen and a full circulation of air around theparts be maintained.

The; last illustrated is characterized by the provision of the notch 29(see Figure 4) formed by cutting out part of the block 33 and the top34. This notch has a' fiat surface 35 adapted members for one shoe only,each of said compart- 'ments including a floor for an outsole, a shelffor to rest on the fiat section 30 of the upper wire 3 tray or cradle,in the basket, and the inclined end 36 of the block and the verticaledge 31 of the top are adapted to engage the wire to prevent the lastfrom shifting forward or backward.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I haveconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made there- I from within the scope ofmy invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinI but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embraceany and all equivalent struc- In general, what I conceive to be myinvention is a track-way work station rack combination, and a unitcarrier for work of the general character described comprising a lightweight manually portable container having openings for access -to.andinspection of parts contained therein and for the free circulation ofair therethrough; and in the form illustrated including separatecompartments, each adapted toreceive and retain the uppers and solemembers of one shoe only and each compartment provided with separateshelves to respectively receive the out- .sole, the pad, and upper on alast.

Having described my invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: e

1. A unit carrier forwork of the character described comprising: a lightweight manually portable container having open sides, ends, top andbottom for the inspection of articles contained in the carrier and forcirculation of air therethrough, and including separate compartmentseach adapted to contain the upper and,

sole members for one shoe only, each of said compartments including ashelffor a pad formed with short upstanding pins to support and re-vtain the pad.

2. A unit carrier for work of the character I described comprising: alight weight manually portable container having open sides, ends, topand bottom for the inspection of articles contained in the container andfor circulation of air therethrough, and including separate compart-'ments each adapted to contain the upper and sole members for onesho'e'only, each of said compartments including a tray for an upper on alast comprising a relatively deep supporting member to nest the rearpart of an inverted last and upper, and a relatively shallow supportingmember to nest the forepart of, the last and upper. 3. A unit carrierfor work of the character described comprising: a light weight manuallyportable container having open sides, ends, top and bottom for theinspection ofiarticles contained in the container and for circulation ofair therethrough, and including separate compartments each adapted tocontain the upper and sole a pad, and a tray for an upper on a last, andcarrying loops extending outwardly from both ends of the containeradapted tobe engaged by hooks for transporting the container through amechanically operated dryer.

" 4. A unit carrier for Work of the character described comprising: alight weight manually portable container having open sides, ends, topand bottom for the inspection of articles contained in the container andfor circulation of air therethrough, and including separate compartmentseach adapted to contain the upper and sole members for one shoe only,each of said compartments including a floor for an outsole, a shelf fora pad formed with short upstanding pins I to support and retain the pad,a tray for an upper ona last comprising a relatively deep supportingmember with slanting sides to nest the rear part of an inverted last andupper, and a relatively shallow supporting member with slanting. sidesto nest the forepart of the last and upper, and carrying into a shoe theparts forw'hich arein one compartment, and said shelves beingindividually accessible for removing and replacing parts, the uppershelf being in the form of a cradle comprising a plurality of depressedsupports of different depths adapted to receivethe heel and toe portionsof an inverted last.

6. A unit carrier for work of the character describedv comprising: amanually portablebasket having a plurality of compartments on a commonlevel, each of said compartments having a plurality of superimposedshelves, each shelf being adapted to contain a part to be assembled intoa shoe the parts for which are in one compartment, and said shelvesbeing individually accessible for removing and replacing parts, theupper shelf being in the form of a cradle comprising a plurality, ofdepressed supports of different depths adapted to receive the heel'andtoe portions of an inverted last, and-the other shelves comprisingsubstantially. fiat trays open at the end. 1

7. A unit carrier for work of the character described comprising: amanually portable basket having a pluralityof compartments on a commonlevel, each of said compartments having a plurality of superimposedshelves, each shelf being adapted to contain a part to be assembled intoa shoe the parts for which are in one compartment, and said shelvesbeing individually accessible for removing and replacing parts, theupper shelf being in' the form of a cradle comprising a plurality ofdepressed supports of difierent depths adapted to receive the heel andtoe portions of an inverted last and one of said other shelves beingprovided with upstanding and support a shoe part.

WILLIAM H. JOYCE, J8.

Pins to elevate

